Let's face it. Even the name is scary.
But deadheading, despite the ominous sound, is nothing more than trimming off spent flowers, keeping plants tidy, and ensuring maximum bloom time. A lot of gardeners worry that if done imperfectly, it might harm the plant. NOT SO, unless you really whack away at it, it's tough to kill or badly deform a plant by deadheading.
Nearly all flowering plants benefit from at least a little deadheading. Take Petunia's, they say today's petunia don't need to be deadheaded? That may be true, but I can tell you from experience the more you deadhead that petunia the bigger, more stunning and beautiful that petunia will look.
Try an experiment. Deadhead one section of plants and leave another section of plants untouched. You be the judge!!
Deadhead plants to keep them feeling young.
Once plants flower, keep the color coming by deadheading, or removing, faded flower heads. When blooms start to fade, brown, curl, or otherwise look unattractive, (or starts to look ready for retirement) then it's time to trim them off, allowing the other flowers to shine. Remember, you can always try to revitalize it by shearing off the faded blooms and one-third of the top growth. Don't forget to fertilize!
This trick restores the performance and blooming of "past their prime" plants.
Maryjo & Steve Bedford
